My Father's Shadow
by Sirenic Griffin
Summary: Relative AU: Hermione Granger has been faced with some pretty chaotic events in her past but an accident with the Flower of Youth had to be the most chaotic, both for herself and the rest of her yeargroup.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Notes for Chapter One**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything affiliated with him. I owe what I write in this story to JK Rowling, my imagination and probably everything I read whether it be Harry Potter Fanfiction or not. I'd also like to neglectfully add that I haven't read the Harry Potter books for sometime – the last time I did so was when Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix was published. It unfortunately disagreed with me and I have yet to read any further or it again. Any lapse in authoring or following of the HP storyline is because of this fact. Please forgive me, this will try to be as spot on as possible. As you can probably guess it doesn't include the Half Blood Prince in its line. Enjoy!**

**Notes to be aware of: I am unfamiliar with the actions of younger children, this is merely an attempt to present. If something happens that is no age appropriate or you find it is ill-ly rated or in the wrong genre I'd like you to tell me. **

**Pairings: Are still uncertain however there grim idea around it all. **

* * *

_In the beginning before the rise of men lived the children of chaos, _

_the tuatha de dannan, children of dana, the children of the trickster. _

_The faeri creatures lived peacefully till something else arrived, _

_wars broke out against the faeri and the beings called druids._

_Beings blessed with abilities, domination and magics,_

_The wars carried on until the faeri were stomped _

_and disappeared from the world; _

_taking their magics with them leaving the druids to forget_

_the remenants left behind became slaves to the druids_

_who found themselves in turn at risk when men _

_without magic but like rabbits appeared. _

_They held them off for centuries _

_till the day they found themselves out numbered_

_outmatched and it was then they withdrew. _

**- Aisling Finnigan's translation of the Creed of Tara from its original form. **

**Chapter One: The Narcissus Jeunetyle**

_**The Flower of Youth Blooms!!**_

Severus Snape, Pomona noted as she stared at both his abnormally large nose and slicked back hair, would not have made a particularly nice addition to her botany collection. If he had been a flower she was sure he'd would've been one belonging to a hybrid of the marigold, monkshood and some grimy weed. It would mean to the language of flowers _Beware! Deadly foe! _And _Crueltly! Jealousy! _And oddly _grief! _The flower Severus Snape she would only use for torture and then exterminate. Oddly enough such a flower she often thought to use on her 7th Year Herbology class, which was why he often accompanied her to it.

Every year without fail she'd make him give some kind of lecture about the importance of plant care especially in his field. It left the students quiet, docile and obedient for the rest of the year which meant she was often in a very good mood, not that the head of Hufflepuff ever showed herself in a bad mood but she loved being in a very good mood. By Seventh Year most students had a habit of being taller than her and would often try the use of cheek: The threat of introducing Severus Snape for a lesson talking about horticulture was enough to nip those feelings in the bud.

That was her only use for the hooked beak man. She did not like interacting with him mostly because of their often reverse personalities. He was gloomly and often showed the feeling of the hybrid that she had just described, she being a Hufflepuff was very friendly and loyal and in a very good mood. Today however was one of those one out forty thousand days that she was not in a good mood and she found herself going into his fifth year potions class in her outdoor gear; thick plastic apron, long plastic gloves, hair tied back firmly with pins and various spells and a mask tied firmly to her face. If she'd taken a moment to look in a mirror the red head would've realised that she looked like something out of a muggle science fiction novel. She did not look like she had come from the green house as there was no dirt, or anything relating to the ground on her. She was clean. Very clean. Too clean for a herbology teacher which lead to the assumption that she'd used a scourgify charm on herself recently.

Severus Snape raised an eyebrow and the smallish woman as she glowered and removed the facial mask. She'd interrupted a very important test between the Ravenclaw-Gryffindor class. A class he liked to torture as much as possible with tests, and practices and so forth. He heard rather than saw two girls – one a certain redheaded Gryffindor the other a blonde Ravenclaw high-five each other. He made a mental note to remove housepoints from them later.

"Severus. I don't suppose you have an explanation why my Hebecho's have taken to bloom." And that was the reason that Professor Pomona Sprout was experiencing a rare occurrence of a bad day.

**…Three and a half hours earlier…**

Harry Potter, aka the Boy-Who-Lived, knew he needed to get up, it was seven o'clock and that meant that if he continued to stare at the gloomy pastel ceiling that pretty soon somebody would pull the curtains away and force him up, and then he'd have to force himself to Divination where he was simply going to be told that he was going to die. Again. It was a repetitive cycle that he knew he had to complete.

"Harry, mate! Are you up?" He could hear somebody moving the curtains trying to get in and thanked whatever god had helped him that night that he'd remembered both the silencing charm as well as a concealment charm. It saved him from having to face Ron, or Seamus, or any of the other peppy Gryffindors. Just watching them carry on their pathetic lives had been enough to make his blood boil and make him feel somewhat depressed all over again. It had been worse that August when he'd left the Dursely's House and been transported (rather forcefully) to Grimmauld Place. Mrs. Weasley had almost force feed him and forced him into the shiny new robes she'd bought him but Harry hadn't wanted that.

He liked his muggle clothes, his hand-me-down jeans and his overly large tee-shirts. A girl had asked him if he could skate, it had been during the summer; when Petunia had tossed him out of the second bedroom so it could be aired properly to look clean and neat, and he'd decided to walk melancholily to the park ever aware of the wizard that was doing the worst job of stalking in the world. She tripped over the ends of her jeans and collapsed beside him, her stripped hoody getting stuck on her ponytail. She'd talked to him in a bizarre language afterwards, that he was only sure was almost English by the fact that he recognised most the words. She had then asked him out and he'd had to tell her that he was already seeing someone.

And he was. Technically.

Everytime he looked at Sirius's mirror gift he saw Sirius look back at him. And wondered why he'd been so stupid. Why he hadn't looked at the gift before. Why to so many questions it almost drove him insane. He hated feeling like that, and when he wasn't feeling like that he'd wonder why he was even involved in the war anymore, sure he didn't like people hating other people just because of their blood but he didn't like to fight but nobody saw another way around it. His only reprieve from the almost obsessive thoughts had been when Hermione had appeared one day on the doorstep looking a tad lost and wanting to speak to him.

She had a sister – she's three and her name's Helena. Harry had watched her face curiously. Hermione was wearing makeup – something she said she didn't have time for and her hair was almost covering her face. Hermione didn't feel to good about the little sister. She was completely muggle.

They'd talked a bit, confided and then she left and he wondered if that had been the real reason she'd come – to drag him back to reality. He didn't want anyone to hurt her, he realised as she sent a glare Dudley's way and he backed off. He didn't even have to hear the high pitched shriek of her voice. He didn't want anybody to hurt her, or Ron or even Ginny. Harry sat down again and sighed and was moody till he was collected.

He liked being muggle, he realised as Mrs. Weasley tried to convince him to change into the more culturally excepted wizarding robes. He liked the wizarding world for all its fun and excitement but he also liked the muggle world for the safe, normal, free feeling it gave him.

And normal and safe was a feeling he wanted, especially in Grimmauld House so close to all the memories.

"Harry!" That was Hermione's voice and she was outside the curtain, for a moment she fumbled before she sat on his bed through the curtain. She could've removed the spells but she didn't. She could hear the other boys shouting for her to leave, or get him up and she just told them in her McGonagall voice to leave – she needed to talk to Harry. They all left and he could hear her comment: "Honestly Ron, you too. Don't pretend to me that you've finished your Potions essay. You have twenty-minutes until Divination, if your lucky it should be completed. I had mine done weeks ago." Ron groaned and left muttering about know-it-all show offs. Hermione chuckled and them leant against the curtain again.

"Are you going to take the charms off. This might me comfortable for you but it's hell on my back." Harry resisted the smile and took the spells off and her back fell through the curtain. She ended up with her head on his knees looking at the roof.

"You scared?" She asked in a quiet voice and she could hear his scorn through his knees.

"Of school?" Hermione rolled her eyes, well at least he knew her enough to know she rolled her eyes.

"No, school doesn't keep you up at night-" When Harry was about to protest she raised her hand.

"and it doesn't leave you with nightmares screaming about losing us." He didn't ask how she knew, Hermione knew everything. It was her job to know everything.

"Yeah." He said slowly. "I'm scared. I mean, I'm fighting for Dumbledore – a man who I know as much as a Chocolate Frog card about and the only thing I know is I'm fighting because if I don't the other guy will kill me." Hermione smiled.

"That's war." He snorted.

"That's face-to-face war but if I never fought he'd still want me dead."

"Yeah, well, think of all us Muggle-twits. We either give up our wizarding ways and hope we aren't tracked down and murdered, or have to assimilate into the wizarding world and become resistance fighter so we don't die. It's one world or the other." Harry smiled and sat up. Hermione didn't move and Harry looked at the huge brown bushy mass that was her hair.

"That sounds rather tragic." He said in a low voice and she sighed, he could feel it within his knees.

"Life's tragic, a dude is a camel's penis, a twit is a pregnant goldfish and Fuck was an abbreviation meaning fornication under consent of king, Muggleborns have to choose one world or the other." Harry patted her head and his hand bounced back before he touched her skull.

"You choose the wizarding one." She sighed.

"I wish they'd told me about Helena." She said slowly and Harry smiled and realised, suddenly aware that he was still in his pajama's. He sprung up and decided to go through the monotonous search for his wizarding robes.

"Harry, did you get the dreams back home?" Hermione asked on the end of his bed and he shook his head as he found a stray sock. Hermione smiled.

"Maybe you should wear your muggle clothing to bed instead of the house pyjama's." He gave her a weird look and she shrugged.

"I read somewhere that unconscious occulamacy works better if one feels completely safe and secure in their surroundings." He glanced at her alarmed.

"I feel safer when I have my wand under my pillow, a book on my nightstand and Akai the teddy bear smothering my face," Harry found his left shoe and put it on the bed and continued searching.

"I suppose it could work…" He muttered and she rolled her eyes and sat up. Her hair worse, if it were possible than before.

"I'll lend you Crookshanks for the week to guard you if you like. He'd like it." Harry smirked as he found shoe number 2.

"Your only doing this because your scared that Lavender will hex him if he brings you another mouse." She grinned.

"I'm not scared of Lavender and her hexes!" She exclaimed with a florish.

"No, your scared of McGonagall telling you that you've failed." Hermione flushed and glared at him.

"Be quiet – I have a full proof way to stop dementors but I'm still shit scared." He raised an eyebrow and spotted something that looked suspiciously like a grey sock under the bed. He dove for the reclusive object.

"You never did tell me why, when you have to admit we've seen much much worse why your frightened of the fail grade. Hermione is that anymore nerdy." Hermione glared and fiddled with a silver necklace that was around her throat. He'd never noticed it before and had half a mind to comment on in next time… he spotted the remaining sock.

"I dunno, when I was little my parents always told me to do my work or the bogey man will come and get me." He looked at her innocent smile as he went over to the old chest and opened the lid.

"That's lame." He told her and she flushed, and went downstairs huffing. Below he could hear her uprooting the younger students from whatever they were doing and making them go to breakfast. Harry smiled sadly. The last dream had been awfuller than most.

Tom Riddle had been reminiscing about a girl from his childhood given him a book about the Slytherin Bloodline which had lead him to the Chamber of Secrets. He remembered as he relished in the basilisks destruction of a unicorn, a creature of purity, innocence. Tom had whispered to the mirror that she was next. Harry didn't even want to know who she was.

**…Three hours earlier…**

Marianna Spinks and Quianna Rivers were the only Gryffindor's who didn't share any type of relationship with Potter, Weasley, Finnigan, Thomas or Brown. Qui found them loud, noisy and foreboding and she didn't like how they had the ability to think they owned the place. Lavender with her attempts to act like 'such a good girl,' Quianna snorted at the pureblood born but muggle raised girl. She knew practically nothing when it came to the wizarding world despite her heritage. She didn't like Thomas and his blatant support of the Westhams (whoever they were. She'd never heard of them so they mustn't be that important) and she didn't like Weasley who complained about his families wealth when other people were by far more worse off. She didn't like Finnigan who seemed to get nothing right but he was a wiz when it came to Arthmancy or Herbology. It came from his mother, he'd shyly commented when Hermione had questioned him.

The two didn't mind Hermione, she put in the work required for her marks but Qui couldn't stand the way she spoke out in class, and attempted to now stuff about the wizarding world. Her world. It was like she was trying far too hard to fit in. Hermione also knew that they existed, which was amazing as the two had the tendency to blend into the brickwork. Harry Potter she didn't mind but she liked his moodier self. It was less perky.

Qui glowered and returned to her book, as she finished watching the procession of students pass through the portrait with Hermione straight behind. Pretty soon the older houses were leaving and Marianne watched with bated breath as Dean Thomas left and Qui closed her eyes. The two of them were opposite as day and night. Marianne was restless with long white-blonde hair, fair skin and aristocratic features that came from the Malfoy blood that she received from her grandfather. She was also very shy when it came to meeting new people and had a voice to meditate to. Qui was different. She had was quiet, she enjoyed both the past times of brooding and reading and her appearance was dark due to the strains of various pureblooded lines. Her eyes were a dark blue, her hair a dark brown. They had the ability to disappear and be forgotten if they wished be so. Marianne poked her and she raised an eyebrow at Dean Thomas's exchange with Seamus Finnigan's girl friend as Seamus stood beside them smirking. He knew apparently and as Dean Thomas and Parvati left, Marianne Spinks blinked down at her timetable in astonishment and swore.

"Seamus! Wait!" She called as she darted out into sight and crashed into him force. Seamus blinked at the rather small, birdlike girl and Marianne felt her face colouring. She did not like attention at all, she preferred to simply sit in the shadows, contribute her bit and that was that. She had yet to fully understand why the blasted hat had put her in Gryffindor. She assumed it was simply because she wasn't sly, and didn't have genius level intelligence and by the time it had reached 'S' Hufflepuff had enough loyal people to send Pomona insane.

"Your 'Spinks', aren't you?" The Irish boy asked lilting his words carefully and she felt her face colouring slightly but the pureblood carried on with her original intention.

"We have herbology first, don't we?" She asked looking down at her shoes that her father had sent her. They were very nice, very pretty black shoes that drew the eyes… or maybe it was just her eye.

"Are you in advanced Herbology?" Seamus asked with an emotion akin to surprise. Marianne nodded and he looked curious.

"Never seen you there." He stated bluntly and Marianne's face coloured even further and she began to wonder if there was house of Gryffindor drop outs who weren't really that courageous.

"That's because me and Qui- that's the dark haired girl sitting on the couch with her book – usually end up blending into the scenery." Seamus blinked and studied her.

"You do blend in don't you?" She ignored that comment and looked at him with big hazel- yellow eyes.

"Do you know if we had any homework? I had to miss Herbology last week because of choir and I completely forgot about it. I completely forgot about asking about homework – we have to do it anyway – and Qui wasn't there either because of womanly- " Seamus interrupted her without wanting to hear any more.

"Why didn't you ask Hermione, she's in the class as well?" Marianne blushed. Hermione was just so loud and scary and often came off as condescending. The honest truth was that the muggle girl scared the pureblood far more than Brown and Patil combined.

"She's very…" She let her words run off and Seamus nodded.

"All we have to do is write a description of the Narcissus family of plants." Marianne nodded gratefully - Professor Sprout didn't care unlike certain teachers how long it was or if it was in sentences as long as the major points were covered.

"Thank-you so much." She whispered and was about to retreat to the far end of the common room when Seamus grabbed her elbow.

"Do you want to come down to breakfast with me?" Marianne coloured and looked to her bestfriend who was sitting on the couch. The dark haired girl's eyes were running over the words of her novel and she wasn't paying attention.

"I usually go with Qui…." She trailed off and Seamus grinned.

"QUI?" He said loudly then looked to Marianne with confusion. "What's her last name he whispered comically.

"It's Rivers." She whispered back and his eyebrows shot up.

"Your both purebloods." He whispered back. Marianne nodded and remembered that Seamus was a halfblood. Her father wouldn't like that…

"Rivers? Do you mind if I steal Marianne for this morning? You can have her back for Herbology." Qui looked up from her book and gazed at Marianne and _winked._ Marianne flushed. Qui was never one to care about traditions, it was ideals she cared about.

"Go ahead. Tory has just travelled back to Atlantis." (AN:/ Qui's reading A Echo in Time By Traci Harding. It's the second in a very good trilogy. A recommended read + it's written by an Ozzie) Marianne sighed and Seamus gave her a confused look as he escorted Marianne out of the common room, so Marianne found herself having to explain her strange friend and her fiction tendencies.

**…Two hours earlier…**

"Well I'm stuffed!" Sophie said as she sprawled out over the Great Hall bench which she was sitting on and rubbed her bare stomach.

Megan, her proclaimed bestfriend, rolled her eyes and her eyes watched the Ravenclaw table or more specifically one of the boys at the Ravenclaw table.

Ernie looked at Sophie with an emotion akin to disgust and whispered to her in a pompous voice that they'd all gotten used to in the past six years. It was his Scottish accent they were sure that made him so unable to whisper.

"I'd say Roper. That's unlady-like." Sophie stuck out her tongue not carring about dignified or not and Ernie's brow furrowed and he opened his mouth again.

"Your robes are meant to be closed and we shouldn't see the skin under it." Sophie smirked and did a show about closing her robes mockingly and sitting up straight.

"Where's Hannah?" Justin asked in a slow, soft voice as his eyes glanced over the hall searching for the pigtailed fiend who became part of their odds-and-end trio. A pureblood who traced their ancestors for at least nine generations, a muggleborn aristocrat and a muggleborn girl who managed to lighten the atmosphere.

"I think she's mediating. I walked in her 'dis morning and she told me she was trying to find her inner eye. She's got Trelawney first up and the woman keeps telling her to _look within herself_ and _calm her thoughts to awaken her inner seer. _I think it's a lot of jack shi- " The halfblood caught Ernie's disapproving glance and finished the sentence lamely.

"-take mushrooms." Cornfoot smirked.

"Of course you do. We all do that's why we choose Advanced Herbology."

"I thought it's because none of us were prepared to face the other godforsaken subjects on at the same time." Lisa Turpin asked as the three Ravenclaws that Megan had been moodily staring at crossed the floor to sit with the five Hufflepuff's at their table.

"That too... and I actually enjoy Herbology." Said Justin and watched in amusement as Michael Cornfoot and Michael Corner made a show of meeting each other.

("Hello Michael C." Said Corner and Cornfoot looked up. "By Jove! It's Michael C! How are you doing Michael C?" "I'm doing fine Michael C, and you?") Padma snorted in irritation.

"Six years I was sure you'd grow out of that!" She said twisting her nose and Corner looked at her in an emotion akin to surprise.

"Padma! Darling. Your not jealous are you? I'd never forsake you." The Indian prefect rolled her eyes.

"This from the boy who talks non-stop about how seventh years hold far more intelligent conversations." The Hufflepuff's looked on in bemusement and Lisa simply pushed herself between Megan and Sophie.

"But Cho Chang loves my wit!" Michael declared for the hall to hear and Cho was walking with her friends turned to look at their table with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you Cho?" He yelled as he realised he had her attention.

"As much as Su Li loves your cooking." Cho replied in kind as a fellow Ravenclaw marched her out of the hall. Kevin and Paul who had entered just laughed. One with a guitar strapped across his back, the other holding what looked to be a baby Chimera.

"You do cook well don't you Corner." Said Paul laughing and Michael glared at him as they joined the Hufflepuff table. Kevin let out a squeak as the Chimera nipped Kevin with his tail for moving unexpectedly and they both began to pile their plates high.

"Eat your own food Ravenclaws!" Ernie said as Kevin grabbed a large piece of bacon that had been sitting in front of him and Paul looked at him in amusement.

"But Erns! I thought this was the Herbology table and the fifth years have taken over ours." It was true it seemed like a large portion of fifth years from all houses had taken over the Ravenclaw table. Apparently Snape had announced a quick potions written test and 5th years no matter which house were cramming as fast as humanly possible. Ernie glowered and Padma grinned.

"Do you remember those days?" She said sweetly and Michael Corner took the opportunity to drape his arms over Padma and guide her to sit down.

"The Ten of us in love for the summer." He said dramatically and Cornfoot rolled his eyes.

"You forgot Boot and Goldstein." Corner blinked and was going to comment when the baby Chimera bit his finger. He scowled. Paul, Kevin and himself had decided to do something out of the country during the holidays and had saved allowances and begged – actually Paul been the only one who did it elegantly with his guitar sitting in the middle of Liverpool trainstation. He'd been removed but only after he'd received enough money for them to go to wizarding Greece. The baby Chimera had taken a liking to Kevin and had even stalked him home when they'd portkeyed away.

"You lil'-" He began than looked at Kevin Entwhistle.

"I'm sure Hagrid would love the addition to his garden." The Chimera shrieked and went to hide under the Slytherin table which lead to a number of screams mostly from girls. Draco Malfoy's eyes met his as he grabbed a piece of egg and fed the Chimera. Kevin visibly shuddered. Malfoy hated the Chimera and the fact that it was not a 'pure animal' with it's lions head and upper body, goats lower body and behind and it's long scaly tail which ended in a snakes head. As it grow older it would grow the horns of a goat but that would take at least five more years. Draco thought that Lions and Snakes should never be part of the same being.

Kevin went to the Slytherin table to regain the Chimera called Hero, short for Herodotus. Jeers followed him back.

**…One hour earlier…**

"Maybe we should go look for her?" Millicent asked as Tracey was scanning through her trunk to find out if she need anything else.

"Dragonhide gloves. Check." The in descript brunette added as she put the thick gloves in her bag.

"I mean it's almost been three hours now. I think something might be wrong." Tracey rolled her eyes and wondered about the possibility of Millicent being related to a banshee. It could be wear her looks and her hair came from… or it could simply be lack of care in her physical appearance.

"She could've been ambushed by the sixth year Gryffindors. They really don't like her." She added worried and Tracey wondered if there was a possibility Millicent should've been in a different house. She simply cared too much about Pansy. That was not the Slytherin way. Slytherin's didn't care about anyone but themselves. When others had friendships, they had alliances. It stopped a lot of heartbreak.

"Or she could've been kissed by a prince and been turned into a lovely princess that looks similar to me." Daphne said and Millicent glared at Pansy's second and decided to stop pacing at least in front of her. Millicent nodded at Tracey and grabbed a thick leather bag.

"I'm going to see if there's anything I can do. See you in Herbology Davis." Millicent said and stalked out of the common room. Daphne rolled her eyes towards Tracey.

"Honesty, she cares far too much." Tracey agreed with her but was not going to tell the tall, blonde blue eyed girl that.

"She probally wants to move higher in the ranks, now that her half-brother is here." Daphne looked at the portrait door with amusement.

"Really? She's going to be in for a big surprise." Tracey looked up from her list of things to take to Herbology.

"You didn't do anything to cause a stir in the heirachy did you Daphne? I thought you were content to be Pansy's second." Daphne frowned and tilted her head.

"Why would I want that? I'm merely inquiring Tracey, dear if you want to move and take my position?" Tracey looked at the pureblood with a raised brow.

"What did you do that means you can play that deeply in house politics." She said slowly and Daphne opened her mouth.

"Your now looking at the new 'Malfoy's Girlfriend'" said an eerie voice with a slight irish lilt behind them. Tracey knew who it was but turned to meet the unnaturally blue eyes of one Lilith Moon anyway.

"Let me guess, Pansy caught you two in the middle of a heated session which involved stripping, kissing and basic teenage love. That's why she missed breakfast and is now sitting in Myrtle's bathroom to be comforted by Millicent when she arrives." Tracey's eyebrows went straight up at the sight of the girl with thick straight black hair, streaked with dark green strips. Lilith was never wrong.

"Daphne. You didn't?" Tracey said her mouth hanging open. Daphne smirked.

"Really, she shouldn't be so upset. It's not like we actually have friendships here, merely alliances." Daphne quoted Tracey's earlier thoughts and the words of the fifth year prefect that had shown them the rules of Slytherin.

"So, Tracey whose side do you choose? Pansy the has-been, or me?" Tracey knew the right path to take. After all, it's not like those in Slytherin had friendships. Millicent and sometimes Pansy forgot that. Nobody asked Lilith what she would do. The Irishwoman never cared about house politics and most groupwork she paired herself outside the house. She was, for lack of a better word, almost unapproachable and distant. She was a manipulator who lived to witness chaos. Tracey shivered.

"That answer should be obvious." Tracey stated slowly and picked up her canvas bag.

"Slytherin's for Herbology!" She called out and a thump was heard from the in the direction of the left wall as Theodore Nott and Vincent Crabbe made their way down stairs, each holding a thick bag. Lilith smirked as she picked up her own bag and waved tá-tá to Daphne. The next few weeks were definitely going be chaotic in the Slytherin year especially with Daphne picking up the pace. Tracey couldn't help but wonder if the change was a good thing or not.

**…Half-an-Hour earlier…**

"I feel so bad for Pansy." Millicent, Pansy's only supporter, was saying as the Slytherin's walked in the direction of the herbology department. The reactions of her fellow Slytherin's left room to be desired.

Tracey rolled her eyes heavenward.

Crabbe took another bite of the muffin that a house elf had kindly made him and said something that suspiciously sounded like.

"If Pansy was a muffin she'd be banana. Daphne would be strawberry. These muffins are nice."

Lilith let a smile grace her face as Qui Rivers joined their group from behind. It would be amusing to see how long it would be till the Slytherin's actually worked out that Qui was in actual fact a Gryffindor.

Theodore snorted an as Millicent turned to glare at him told her to start behaving like a Slytherin and not like a Gryffindor.

"I take offense to that." Said Qui quietly and Theodore whirled around to face the dark haired girl she shrugged.

"We do not act so sappy, I must say she acts like a Hufflepuff whose lost her chew toy." Slytherin's almost united against the silent brain till Theodore clicked his fingers.

"See! Even a Gryffindork thinks your not acting like a Slytherin." Qui mimicked him perfectly.

"Yeah, Bulstrode. Even a Gryffindor thinks your not acting like a spastic slytherin." Theodore glared at her and Qui did a curtsy and rushed on ahead to enter the darkened green house and attack Marianne Spinks from behind. The blonde hair squeaked in a high pitched note and they burst out laughing.

Paul Runcorn and Kevin Entwhistle, the boys that Marianne had band with rolled their eyes and Lilith smiled as Seamus Finnigan looked mildly affronted.

Everyone else was carried up in their own convesations and the Slytherin's had been the last to arrive out of the twenty students.

Quianna Rivers had been with their group had started to animatedly chat to her Marianne Spinks with the mere contributions of Paul, Kevin and Seamus.

Ernie was scolding Sophie Roper for doing something unladylike that was disgraceful behaviour for a witch while Justin and Megan seemed to think it was very amusing. The twinkle evident in Sophie's eye told all that whatever the Hufflepuff was yelling at her for had done had been on purpose. Noticing her clothes and her hair– her robes were open showing muggle jeans and a tartan shirt (that had probally been the reason Ernie was getting up her this time. He had a fond belief in pride in ones own tartan and Sophie had decided to wear the MacMillian tartan as a shirt. It was _his_ not _hers_.) and her hair was a straw-blonde and had been tied in a shaggy plait (It was untidy apparently). It was easy to see why Ernie was yelling at her.

The two Michael's sat together with Lisa Turpin, Padma Patil and oddly enough the remaining Gryffindors; Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. They were talking avidly about something but Lilith paid no mind as to what. Millicent took one look at the situation and opened her mouth to complain – Pansy's, and non-Slytherin traits forgotten instantly when there was something new to do.

"Why is it so dark in here?" She demanded and before Hermione could answer with something intelligent she pointed her finger in Hermione's direction.

"Not you mudblood." Hermione lifted an eyebrow as if to say 'Your funeral.'

"I think we need some light." Millicent said and stalked to the middle of the room.

"Magnum Lumos." Hermione gasped as did some of the other Ravenclaws and students of the class as Millicent's eyes fell on the twenty pots of gigantic plants. Each had a steam – or as they looked like – trunk that two adult hands could only just touch each other. They had two colossal greenish leaves and the flower head were shaped like daffodils of assorted colour. Each head now was raising itself at the sight of the light, turning itself almost inside out to reveal what looked like a human head inside the heads themselves turned themselves and looked fascinated at the sight of the light. Slowly, each head began to sing a soft hymn that if they'd asked either Seamus or Lilith they'd say they it was a ballad of sorrow that there mother's used to sing to get them to sleep. Millicent blinked and tried to get rid of the light.

"It's too late, Bulstrode. They've been affected by the light. They won't go to sleep again." Hermione's dull voice penetrated the beautiful tune and Millicent went and tried to turn to glare at her and found herself unable to move.

"It's one of the protective aspects of the Hebecho, better known as the Narcissus Jeunetyleor Flower of Youth. It realises the tune to immobilise any predators before it begins to realise it's spores so nothing interrupts it's reproductive cycle when it begins. It should only take twenty-minutes. Don't worry, we'll be fine." Millicent felt anything but fine. She couldn't move but then Megan Jones gasped and uttered an entire sentence in Welsh, then realising what she'd done she translated it.

"Reproductive State? Neville! Are you saying that we can't friggin move and we'll have to watch flowers have sex." The boys in the room shuddered and Hermione burst out laughing.

"Jones? You're a halfblood! Didn't you hear in muggle science that plants reproduce asexually? It means that - " Four flowers began to release multicoloured, shiny spores into the air.

"Those spores are the like the male sperm, they'll float around and eventually land on in the area's where the flower germinates – or where the 'egg' is and that'll be it." Millicent felt like hurling, and five more flowers released their spores. The haunting song was also beginning to hurt her ears and make her feel drowsy.

"There's sperm floating around us!" Justin exclaimed and they all knew the condescending look Hermione gave him, eight more flowers started to emit their spores.

"There is another effect of hearing and witnessing the spores with them touching us." Neville whispered, his voice softer now as everyone began to feel the mind-numbing state of that only the haunting lilting hum of the song the Flower of Youth emits.

"And what's that?" asked someone from Qui's direction.

"… can't… remember…" Neville broke off as they all slumped down in their chairs or onto the floor where they'd been standing and that was how Professor Pomona found them all after the _Narcissus Jeunetyle_had finished its song and been germinated. The Multicoloured spores now ingrained in their skin.

She swore and that was the ended of Professor Pomona Spouts' good day.

* * *

**Take Three! I tell you if you recognise this sort of thing from before… I apologize. I haven't gotten past the first few chapters each time so this time I decided to take a completely different approach. I've already written the next two chapters so so far it's got a good flow. I want you to comment about the length (I'm worried about that. ****It's the longest chapter story I've ever attempted. And It's kind of hard for me to edit because I lose track of the style I'm writing in. I promise later chapters won't have so many characters in I just wanted to get personalities across this time.) What do you think? **

**Read and Review. **


	2. Chapter 2

_For centuries the rabbit-like men inhabited our land_

_Their blood to weak to really mean anything_

_Some tried to burn us, hurt us, cause us pain_

_And the weak of us succumbed to their torture_

_They tell tales now of witches warming their toes on the flames of salem_

_They tell tales of witches in disguise being burnt. _

_They forget to tell the tales of those who didn't know how to save themselves._

_The children and innocents who were burnt;_

_the children of witches who found themselves without power_

_the children of pure lines who found themselves unaided. _

_the children who did not know the spells. _

_the women who simply knew medicine and who had minds of their own_

_the women who were leaders and could speak._

_it was the death of these women that drove our world into an early acceptance of women right_

_for we did not want to be like them_

**- Kentagerna O'Connell's words on witches, women and burnings, translated by her young daughter. **

**_Chapter Two: The Effect of the Hebecho_**

_**The Price of Youth**_

"Poppy, I told you I didn't put the Hebecho's in the sixth year classroom." Professor Sprout's voice echoed through the hospital ward and around Hermione's brain as she felt consciousness pull her back into reality and out of whatever dream world she had been in. They hadn't been pleasant dreams and had involved her at her cousins farms where she'd previously spent her holidays before her parents had began to take her overseas with them. She'd since then had had a slight aversion to both poultry and heights.

"So are you saying that the Hebecho's made their way onto school grounds and ended up in the classroom greenhouse?" Professor Sprout snorted uncharacteristically and laughed.

"No, Poppy. I was making a study of the Hebecho's in my private greenhouse, you might not do other things then nurse sick children but rest assured we all do. We publish articles and are very involved in the magical world." Hermione could feel Poppy's back stiffen and decided to concentrate on herself rather than what was going on elsewhere.

She had a headache similar in ferocity to that cursed by the consummation of too much alcohol to create a very happy time for one and everybody else around. She was sure she hadn't consumed that much alcohol within the last twenty-four hours and disregarded that comment. A sickly sweet tune still played within her head and her fingers felt completely numb like they radiated, or she'd burnt herself or she'd hit the funny bone in her arm. She groaned and was surprised at the soft, quiet tone that broke in her voice.

"Did anyone catch the number of that bus?" a voice said from her far left, cracking in places and a cheeping noise shifted which alerted everyone around that Hero had been reunited with his most beloved master. Hero never went to any class with Kevin. He locked the infant in his room for each class which meant it had either discovered the window or had been let out. The Chimera did have self-preservation tactics so it was most likely that a fellow Ravenclaw Male had opened the door and let the little scamp run.

"No, but it did have a health sign on the side: it read: Room is dark for a reason, don't ignore the warning signs." A voice close to the cheeps said and Hermione guessed it was Kevin Entwhistle's which meant the person who'd made the original comment had been either Paul Runcorn or Justin Finch-Fletchley. It was a muggle saying after all.

"Ha ha." A female voice croaked near her. "Let's all make fun of the girl who tried to make the room brighter." It was Millicent's voice, Hermione felt the headache fading and took the opportunity to gaze at the blue tinged roof. White was often very glaring and It seemed like Poppy had been in the mood for the colour change.

"Don't worry. I get to miss out on Snape's Potion lesson." One of the Michael's said from the far right and Hermione jerked up to a sitting position. The room spun dangerously and she took a deep breath.

"Oh, dammit… maybe I still I have time." Hermione jerked herself out of the bed and rushed to the door. She heard a comment behind her but ignored it. She was used to ignoring those sorts of comments.

"Bloody mental that one." She yanked open the door and ran straight into the warm eyes of Madame Poppy Pomfrey.

"Now, Miss Granger, your not trying to go to class now are you?" Hermione blinked and tried her sweetest smile.

"Now, Poppy, what would give you that idea?" The mediwitch glowered and grabbed Hermione's arm. The girl winced as her hand made contact with the fabric of her robes, rubbing against the skin underneath. Poppy glanced at her for a moment before directing her back to her hospital bed where the other nineteen students lay down, with the exception of Kevin who was sitting up and letting Hero mother him in an almost comical fashion.

"You do it every year. In first year with the shock after going into the 3rd floor corridor." Hermione scowled.

"There was not shock. Nothing really happen, I was perfectly fine and we had Transfiguration that day. I'd studied for it and everything." Pomfrey rolled her eyes as she forced her down on the bed and looked at the other students.

"Hermione is one of my most regular patients, if you couldn't guess. Her and her three friends. That includes you Mr. Longbottom." Neville had the decency to look ashamed, the rest looked on in amusement as Hermione attempted to get up again.

"Then in second year as soon as your tail disappeared – how you managed to become a cat-woman still alludes me. You wanted to go to Charms that day. Then later as soon as you were awake." Hermione groaned as Pomfrey continued her tirade and mentioned all the incidents that had left her in the hospital ward for more than a week. The other's found the large-teeth fiasco in forth year amusing and Pomfrey managed to pull Hermione's sleeve up to her elbow. She clicked her tongue at the extensive bruising that was only now turning yellow with hints of purple and red veined through it. She grabbed barm as she moved through the fifth year incidents and rubbed it on Hermione's arm. Not asking questions but making mental notes to do so later in the privacy of her office. The bruises were far too old to be from Hogwarts. Hermione as she discovered early in her time at Hogwarts was a very slow healer, just like she was a slow grower. It took weeks what naturally took others days. She had only just hit her second growth spurt while others girls her age were coming out of it in the heights they'd keep for most of their lives.

"So can I go?" She asked quietly when Madame Pomfrey had gotten up to the present moment and Sophie exclaimed from her own bed and moved herself into a sitting up position.

"Hermione, if you go the teacher's will be expecting us to go as well and frankly I feel like I have drunken an entire lake full of Drowning Rum." Madame Pomfrey looked at her scornfully and Sophie had the sense to look mildly embarrassed.

"Not that I've ever touched the stuff, never! Only Butter Beer for me and the odd Fire Whisky to celebrate. Never touched Drowning Rum – can't stand the stuff. Has far too high alcohol levels for me!" Megan snorted from her bed and Sophie glared as the dark haired girl rolled over.

"But I bet Megan has! I bet her cousin Gwenogg lets her drink it to celebrate the Harpies Victories." Megan looked at her with scorn.

"Gwennog drinks Drowning Rum when they've lost. Hence the name bonehead." Sophie didn't look fazed at being insulted it, it often looked like she went out of her way to be so.

"What's it taste like? Anything like ordinary rum? I once tasted stuff that my father had imported from Australia and it tasted vile!" Justin said and Sophie rolled her eyes and was about to answer when Ernie let out a large moan from his bed. Madame Pomfrey gave Hermione a look that easily said: move and I will bring your worst nightmares to life. Hermione meekly pulled her legs under the woollen blanket. The mediwitch moved over to Ernie and dabbed the pompous looking Scotsmen's brow.

"Can I have a numbing draught!" Ernie proclaimed to the ceiling and Madame Pomfrey shook her head.

"No, and that goes for all of you. You are allowed no medication till the end of January – it might cause trauma to the effects of the Hebecho. The pain should recede the longer you're awake and moving." Sophie blinked and then blurted out something unintelligible.

"She says she can't do that." Qui said from the bed near the wall. She blinked owlishly at the room and the turned to look at Marianne who was also just waking up with a moan.

"Why not Miss Roper?" The mediwitch demanded and Sophie, for once in her life turned red.

"I can't say miss," She said quietly looking at the boys, and Madame Pompfrey cottoned on.

"Oh! I wouldn't worry about that dear. You all were exposed to large amounts of vulnerable Hebecho spores. That's at least one thing to clear your mind about." Sophie nodded, and it managed to process through Lisa's mind.

"What else won't we have to worry about?" The Ravenclaw demanded as the mediwitch moved towards the hospital door.

"I don't know, hopefully Professor Sprout and Professor Snape will return shortly. I know you all probably have at least eight hours before the properties begin to circulate throughout your bodies… but I would much rather they explained it." They all looked at her suspiciously when Millicent added.

"Does this have something to do with what Neville forgot about the properties of the… what did you call it? Hebecho?" Pomfrey looked decidedly stressed and she gazed out the clear seeming doors.

"Can I go to class after Snape and Sprout visit?" Hermione demanded from her bed and everyone shushed her as noise was heard outside. The mediwitch looked grateful and burst out of the doors.

"Thank goodness you're here Professors! Did Dumbledore tell you what to do now? I can't house twenty – my sick beds get full around this time anyway. It's October after all."

"Dumbledore has instructed us to use the hat to see who they belong with for the period of time that they will be indisposed. He tells me he sees it as a good exercise for the sixth years to participate; fostering life skills and such." The Young Potions master replied evenly as he entered the sickroom, holding a very ratty old hat with the Herbology Teacher on his heels. He glared at everybody, and met and broke eye contact with everyone.

"You will take the chain and dog tag that Professor Sprout has and you will wear then. You will not take them off till January and you will do as I say. Is that understood?" He replied in a dead even voice as Professor Sprout darted around the sickroom handing out metal chains attached to a long, blank pendant that as soon as touched the persons skin and was around a persons neck glowed for a moment then engraved itself with the persons name, house and, for some odd reason birth date and blood type, Hermione instantly tucked it within her robes, just in case. Snape addressed them again.

"This information is very important. Do not remove it or even lose it. I am talking to you Longbottom." Neville jumped and looked guilty as he fiddled with the chain. Professor Sprout looked on in amusement.

"I hope you've learnt your lesson for what happens when one alters an environment and that alteration's effect of plants." She said simply as the Potions Professor glared at her.

"I did not move your Hebecho's Pomona." Pomona raised an eyebrow.

"I believe you, _Severus, _as the honourable head of Slytherin." She said dismissively and Severus glared at her and summoned a hospital chair to the middle of the room and addressed the students again.

"You will sit on this chair, and take careful note over the name it tells you. Maybe approach them later, before the eight hours up." Severus looked at them all and called out a name, the last name on the alphabetical list.

"Miss. Turpin, if you will." Lisa blinked and walked woozily over to the stool. The hat went down and sat on her head and closed where it's eyes would be.

"Zachariah Smith, Hufflepuff." The tall blonde looked confusedly at the Professors but they showed no comment. Standing up and discarding the hat she walked back to her bed trying to figure out what was going on. The other student's didn't have the same attitude, and after five years of schooling (excluding the first few months of their sixth year) they did not have the nervousness or restraints that their first year selves had about the hat.

"Professor! What are you doing!"

"I thought I'd seen the last of that hat at the start of the year!"

"Why do we have to wear the insane thing again!"

"Why are we doing this professor?"

"What has Zach got to do with Lisa!"

"Are you matchmaking us? That is soo wrong." The professor ignored the remarksand simply called out the next name on the list

"Miss. Spinks." Marianne shyly approached the hat who wobbled on her head and ummed till it decided upon a name.

"Sally-Anne Perks. Hufflepuff." A lot of gasps filled the air as Marianne removed the hat and sat down on her bed between Seamus's and Quianna's.

"Way to go Mary!" Paul called out and Marianne turned red.

"That is going to be soo hot! Two girls together." Professor Sprout turned red at the insinuations and said in a slightly calm voice.

"You are not being match made. These are not to be your boyfriends or girlfriends in any degree of the matter. If Miss. Spinks choose to become acquainted with the her own sex then she will, the hat is not one to decide such things." Marianne at this turned red and looked like she wanted to fly out the window. Qui sent her a pitying look as she hid her head in her pillow.

"Mr. Runcorn." Snape began his role call again, and the dusty featured boy stood up and sauntered over the stool. The muggle grinned as the hat slipped over his head and dug within his mind for a few moments before calling out another female name. Paul's eyes widened and Kevin Entwhistle burst into laughter, with Chime adding little cheeps every now and then. The girl happened to have two very good, very mean looking friends who were not so pleased with him and their friend being paired. The whole group it seemed were not so believing of the fact that the hat wasn't trying to set them up, even though Marianne had received Sally-Anne.

"I'm doomed." He said melodramatically and Pomona affirmed again that it wasn't a matchmaking exercise. Snape continued his role call in reverse alphabetical order.

"Miss Roper." The straw haired girl took the stand and glowered as the hat told her the three words of her a girl who was entirely the opposite of the very unfeminine girl. She snorted as she laughed to prove her point and the role call continued till Padma took the stands and was awarded with the name of her younger, identical sister – although since they had hit puberty the resemblance between them had faded, both with hair cuts and other beauty products it was still very pronounced. It ruined however any idea that the hat was matches making anybody.

"Sisterly Love!" Exclaimed Seamus and Padma raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you going out with my sister?" She asked in a quiet voice and Seamus blinked, tilted his head for a moment thinking.

"Possibly… but I always thought she was more interested in Dean. The stud!" Padma rolled her eyes and said in a short voice.

"I hope this proves to everyone else that this is no attempt at matchmaking." Her scary voice echoed along the hall reminding everyone why it was she'd been make Prefect of the Ravenclaw house. They felt compelled to obey. No more reactions from either the audience or the participants occurred till Ernie MacMillan sat down, torn between being pleased that he'd be with a Ravenclaw and doubtful about whether they'd actually get along.

"Mr. Longbottom" Neville moved from his secure place in the hospital bed and sat under the hat. His eyes wide as it moved over his head and hummed and hated.

"Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin." Neville eeped and his eyes rolled into the back of his head and Justin, who was closest to the teacher's and the stool was just quick enough out of bed to catch him. Hero tried to contribute from opposite by flying against Neville's back. Snape slapped the boy once and he blinked back into consciousness.

"Remember Parkinson. Slytherin. Longbottom." The boy nodded and got off the stool with as much dignity as he had left and wandered back to the bed, the role call continued unfazed again, till it reached Seamus who turned slightly green, in tribute to his destined partner. Professor Sprout had her wand out to assist him but he shook his head and asked for a bucket. His request wasn't answered and he was forced to sit back down. Marianne looked at him with pity.

"Remember they aren't matchmaking." She said slowly and Seamus nodded, sitting down and began to pay attention to the role call again, they'd advanced to Kevin Entwistle who was grinning, when the hat went on his head.

"Blaise Zabini, Slytherin." Hero chirped loudly and a feral grin appeared on Kevin's face.

"Are we going to spend long amounts of time with our so called pairs?" He asked the potions teacher as the hat came off. The Herbology teacher nodded.

"Most of your time till the plants effects wear off will be spent with your partner." She said enthusiastically. Kevin smirked and rubbed his hands together.

"Blaise! You are going to rue the day you set fire to Hero's fur!" He laughed evilly and Paul rolled his eyes and Snape continued monotonously till he reached the final name and _Miss. Bulstrode_ was partnered with _Lavender Brown,_ _Gryffindor_ to which the banshee-like girl snorted as she took off the hat and Professor Snape looked around at them all.

"You can see that the dog tags that I gave you earlier have been modified to read on the flip side your 'partner's name, house and present location.' The colours are simple." Hermione watched as Millicent flipped her golden dog tag over to read the names _Lavender B. Brown_, in elegant calligraphy, and under that _Gryffindor, _but it was the third line made her stomach turn. _R. of Requirement with R.W, best be to wait in the Great Hall for Lunch. _It didn't take a leap of knowledge to know who R.W was and she looked away and back at Snape. She wasn't going to look at her tag till she was sure nobody could look or question. Snape coughed and looked at them all.

"You have about seven hours before the herbs effects kick in. I do not recommend reading up about it if you don't know. It will only waste the precious time you have; the only way to cope or cure it is to wait it out. It's only till January. You are free to go." And with that goodbye he turned and with Pomona Sprout left the hospital ward. Hermione got out of bed to follow them.

"Don't tell me your going to Potions now?" Asked Sophie groaning and Hermione shot her a: _are you kidding _look.

"I want to know what happens!" Hermione stated and exited the hospital doors, everyone else in the ward looked at each other, remembered that they had 7 hours till something actually happened, six hours to say goodbye? Talk to their partners? And other such things. A mad rush occurred within moments for the door.

… A few minutes later… 

Hermione was glad of the quiet hallways as she almost made it to the library doors before she was intercepted Ron and steered cheerfully to the great hall and Lunch. Malfoy was snickering with Goyle when the doors were thrown open and the rest of her Herbology class entered, followed shortly by the fifth year potions class. Hermione found herself grinning as Ginny pushed herself onto the bench.

"That was awful!" The red head stated and everyone gave inquisitive glances at her. She was late afterall.

"Just because Professor Sprout burst into the classroom he put three essay questions at the end of the paper and we had to answer them while he went off – probably to snog Professor Sprout." Ginny's knife slit through the chicken in front of menacingly as she pictured Professor Snape's own prone body. Everyone else within hearing distance turned slightly green. Seamus, after sitting next to his bestfriend – still near Marianne – laughed.

"No such luck, we were in Professor's Sprout class!" They all looked towards him – and Hermione who shook her head.

"The Slytherin Hag - " She pointed crudely to Millicent who was standing at the far end of the table scanning for Pansy, "Managed to put us all in the hospital ward for adding light to a darkened room. So we could see!" Ron snorted.

"Sounds like something a Slytherin would do! Probably knew you'd end up in the hospital ward." Hermione rolled her eyes at this.

"Honestly Ronald, we all ended up in the hospital ward. Why would Millicent do something that would endanger herself?" Seamus nodded and picked two pieces of bread, the butter, and two pieces of ham off the table infront of him and proceeded to make a sandwich.

"Besides she seemed pretty scared. Did you find out what the Hebecho's do? I mean your having lunch now so it must've been in the first book you glanced at." Hermione shook her head.

"These two," She said indicating the boys and looking at the Herbology Gryffindors. "Interrupted me before I could even set foot inside." Ron snorted.

"We saved you! Sometimes I wonder if you don't have a brain or a heart but simply a book placed there!" Hermione opened her mouth to say something when Lavender decided to have something to contribute to the conversation.

"I know what Hebecho is!" She said in triumph, and very loudly. Every face in the hall turned to look at her and her face went red.

"The ingredient's like super expensive; mum uses it in her anti-wrinkle cream and I know it's used in conditioners and dyes that are used to cover grey hair. It has anti-aging properties." Hermione glowered.

"And that's going to effect me how?" She said looking at the girl who had taken her hair out of the plaits it had been in the day before and was looking very stylish; light brown with gold streaks with controlled waves and kinks.

"You all should have skin smoother than a baby's bottom! No pimples or acne for you lot!" Lavender declared and everyone rolled their eyes.

…6 ½ Hours later… 

Hermione yawned as she moved towards the Gryffindor tower after what felt like the longest day of her life. Unfortunately Malfoy and his pet cronies stood in the way. She looked at them through bleary eyes and told them in a quiet, serious voice.

"Malfoy. Move." Malfoy didn't move, instead he sneered in a childish manner. Hermione glared.

"Oh, Mudblood can't think of anything else to say: My father always said that Mudblood's only had four braincells now I'm finally having evidence." Too tired to listen Hermione ignored him and continued down the corridor. Crabbe laughed as his hand snaked out to grab her hand and delay her. The contact made her scream. It felt like her entire skeleton was breaking apart. Her teeth jarred and her skull felt like it was cracking along with the bones in her legs. She screamed at the contact and Malfoy's eyes widened.

"Mudblood? Now your realising my power? How-" he didn't have time to complete the sense as she rushed past him ignoring the pain determined to get to her dormitory and lie down. She did not want to go back to the infirmary. Malfoy went to follow her when Goyle touched his shoulder and pointed to Crabbe who was staring at his own body and his teeth barred as if he was in pain.

"Crabbe? Vin?" Crabbe's dark brown eyes met his and he could see the tears forming from the internal pain.

"Slytherin dorms." The big man croaked and Malfoy motioned to Goyle to help them take their friend back down the stairs and underground. Goyle and Malfoy were not of equal height by any stretch, Goyle was built for defence and Malfoy to be pampered. His hands promised growth but he had yet to witness it and when he looked in the mirror he saw an uglier, much smaller version of his father. He always groaned and continued on.

Opening the door they managed to get Crabbe to his bed and Malfoy was going to make his way back to the Slytherin Common Room when Goyle pointed out something in shock. He spun and watched in grim fascination as Crabbe's bones snapped and shrunk. His skin changing and reforming; becoming younger losing his stubble and gristle; first becoming the sturdy fourteen year old, then the brutish thirteen year old, then the hungry twelve year old, and then the naïve eleven year old. But it didn't stop there Crabbe backtracked during his slumber to the appearance of four or five year old. His robes were left behind, followed by his trousers, belt, and finally a four year old boy, with blonde-grey hair lay in an oversized sweater and white shirt, green tie lose. Arms barely coming to the elbows. He looked so small and vunerable. Something had happened to Crabbe, he remembered Millicent talking a deep breath and sighing for happiness when Lavender announced the effects of the Hebecho – she told them that it would help skin and hair. Unless it was the know-it-all Gryffindors never got anything right. He looked and Crabbe as the now six year old boy rolled over and his hand – covered with his sweater went directly eyelevel. For a moment Draco wondered if the boy would suck it but shook of the thought. It was disgusting! Slytherin's did not suck their thumbs even though they were six or asleep. Then something caught his eye, something that had fallen out of Crabbe's shirt as he had rolled over. A necklace.

Draco felt even more disgusted – Crabbe wore a necklace? till the Bronze Dogtag his friend was wearing pulsed for a moment and shone. Curiously Draco leant forward and tried to take the unfamiliar piece of jewellery off. When it didn't budge Draco realised it would be helpful.

He looked down at the details in amusement_. Mandy Brocklehurst, Ravenclaw, located in the Ravenclaw Dorms, studying: do not disturb. Stay where you are._ He looked at Goyle and remarked with a raised brow.

"We'll do this tomorrow." Then he heard another shriek downstairs and went downstairs wondering if it was the other Herbology students. Lilith's eyes were – huge green eyes with red flicks dancing through them. She'd taken out her contacts and she kept gasping for air, her hand grounding into the couch and he heard the familiar snap of bones breaking a reforming.

He heard a groan from the floor and Theodore Nott lay there writhing as more bones reformed themselves. Daphne blinked stupidly at the scene in front of her and Tracey's eyes widened. She realised the connection at once. Millicent ran over to her.

"Tracey! I think it's got something - " Tracey and Millicent's skin touched a moment later and Millicent said a very bad word as the sound of bones breaking filled that corner of the room. The first years shrieked and ran upstairs and Draco felt sick.

"Goyle you get Nott - " He said slowly and glared a pair of fifth years, Daphne and the depressing Pansy into submission.

"Take Lilith, Millicent and Tracey upstairs." Pansy nodded and looked at a similiarly shaped fifth year.

"Athena, can you help me with Tracey?" She asked in a subtle voice and Athena nodded and the black haired witch and the brunette dragged Tracey upstairs. Once, when he was young Draco would've assumed that it was because she liked Tracey, or she wanted to win Tracey's favours but now he knew she'd choosen Tracey because Tracey was the smallest and lightest. She didn't carry Millicent's tall, banshee-like frame and muscles that came with running through the moors, and wasn't Lilith, the irish demon, the tomboyish loner able to whip any other the other boys in shape wether on a broom or with a wand. Lilith had solid muscle and it was easy to see why the slight, almost food deprived girl had appealed to Pansy's Slytherin ways.

Daphne and another girl picked up Lilith but the other girls looked at Millicent's body and at him. Draco glared and looked at Goyle who glowered and set Millicent on the couch. They watched in the sickening fascination that had happened before as Millicent shrunk to become her six year old self, smothered in her uniform. She looked almost sweet with chubby cheeks and a short, straight bob with a furiously cut fringe. The key word was almost.

"Should we get Snape?" asked one of the remaining fifth year girls. He nodded and two of them left together. He noticed a gold tag around Millicent's neck and flipped the golden tag over.

_Lavender Brown, Gryffindor. __R. of Requirement with R. W… best be to stay where you are. _

That was far too much information and as he looked at Severus Snape in the doorway he knew if he wanted answers he'd get them in the morning.

"I want you to get the five students effected," He said in a tight, clipped voice,

"To their beds, in the morning they will wake and the five remaining six years will take them to the Quidditch Pitch. Is that understood?" Pansy, Blaise (who'd entered behind Snape), Daphne, Gregory and himself nodded and Snape smirked, waved his wand and Millicent and Millicent's clothes went straight up to her dormitory.

"Clothes for them should be found in the common room trunk. Good night." He said with a raised eyebrow and left.

… later… 

"Excuse me?" asked a very quiet voice near the stairwell that led up towards the combined bedrooms. Harry jumped, ever since the night before when Seamus and Marianne Spinks had collapsed when he'd touched her shoulder wanting to know something and Qui and Neville had to be brought up from the library by the professor's he'd been a bit jumping. After all watching ones mates becoming children - or Halflings [1: Lord of the Rings Reference as Dean had joked (nobody else really understood but Harry had laughed for Dean's sake) – tended to make one a little jumpy. They'd already put together the puzzle pieces and figured that had to do with the Herbology incident. Lavender had been wrong. Not that it wasn't that much of a surprise.

"I'm lost." Said the little voice again and Harry turned to see a small girl standing at the entrance way just beyond the light. Her hair was brown, thick, all over the place and very bushy especially about the top. She looked at him with two sets of owlish eyes and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Really? And why would you think that?" he asked in the kindest voice he could manage. She winced and he decided that it wasn't kind enough.

"Well, I don't know where I am." The little girl said tilting her head to the right as if that was the obvious answer. He frowned, there shouldn't be who wasn't a student around and a student should know the answer..

"You're at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Her eyes grew wide and her tongue wet her lips. He could see by her eyes she was trying to get her brain around it which was decidedly odd. Most children under ten would be ecstatic that they were in this place, till of course the wonders of the lack of imagination caught up to them than. Normally a child would've accepted it and moved on.

"Are you sure?" She asked and walked closer to him. He could now see a few freckles on her cheeks as well as the fact that she was wearing an oversized t-shirt. He nodded.

"of course, I'm a student, name's Harry Potter… and you are?" He asked although he had a feeling he already knew. Qui had black hair, and Marianne was blonde and the only other Herbology student which could be in the Gryffindor Tower would be…

"Hermione Granger." She said testing the words on her tongue like she wasn't used to saying the name but younger children weren't. Most children went by their nicknames or what there parents called them at that age. She then smiled nervously at him and the large shirt slipped off her shoulder.

"Would you like some other clothes?" He asked cautiously and she hesitated before nodding and he walked over to the chest that Professor McGonagall had indicated earlier that night as he opened it he noticed it was full of a variety of robes as well as many other clothing items. A pair of pink flannelette slip with love hearts decorated over the cloth caught his eyes and with amusement he picked them out and handed them to the young girl. The Hermione he knew wouldn't touch the items with a stick, although she was not what one would call an extroverted girl, she was not the opposite. Hermione Granger preferred subtle girl fashions that came in quiet colours preferring to be noticed by her other self imposed qualities. This Hermione was no different. She groaned and shook her head walking over to the chest and digging her hands into the thing and finding what she was looking for. A set of plain, red and yellow striped flannelette pyjama's.

"Don't look." She said slowly and he smiled - the first smile in a while - at her and closed his eyes, and put a hand comically over his eyes. He could hear her changing and going Oh once or twice.

"You can look now." He blinked his eyes open at her face which was centimetres from his.

"That's better." He whispered and she bit her lip.

"Excuse me Mister Potter - " She began but her interrupted her.

"Harry."

"Harry," she began again and looked at him. "Can I go home now? I've been very good." He blinked at her and her imploring eyes and wondered what to tell her. The Professor had said something about the quidditch pitch and everything being sorted out there.

"No." He said and shrugged. What were they possibly going to tell the Grangers? That now instead of a three year old and a sixteen year old their children would be closer in age than could be conceived. Her eyes widened and they began to dart around the room and he saw the beginning of a panic attack.

"I have to get home. Mummy and Daddy will be so worried. I don't know where I am. Grandpa told me to say where I was. What do I do? Maybe Grandpa will come? Daddy says the world isn't safe? I-" She burst into a hiccups and Harry gathered his arms around her and picked her up. He had enough problems. He was up, at four o'clock in the morning, on a day before school because he didn't want to take lessons that gave him headaches and when he went to sleep he slept the dreams of a deranged lunatic. The one that awoken him so early involved knives, snakes and cats, and many kittens.

"Shhh, you'll be safe with me." She hugged him and cried hiccupping into his shirt. He smiled at the how ironic the situation was. She was the person who comforted him, who advised him and gave him the answers for anything he needed – he needed her to do things he couldn't, in a purely platonic way and yet now he was comforting her. She was the one who had told him that everyone had felt safe around him although he had known that the reality was the complete opposite. Nobody affiliated with him was safe.

A lone owl soared through the common room window to land on the back of the couch, where it perched and waited for him to untie the message around its leg. He didn't move for a while for the hiccups soon became sniffles into his shirt and slowly returned to the steady breathing that only can happen in the unconscious state that one calls sleep. Slowly Harry reached over and untied the string a message falling onto the cushion below. It's burden removed the bird of prey took flight out of the window.

Again, with timely movements Harry leant over to pick up the scroll.

"_**Master Harry Potter. **_

_**Eternally I hope that Horatio has found you, he always tends to find whom I write to however the wards surrounding Hogwarts are great and the directional spells always send every owl via the principal and Horatio always gets lost with letters that need to be received by somebody in the Mother Kingdom's Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry. **_

_**Enough of that though, Mister Potter, an intelligent friend of yours who calls herself Miss. Green, has written to inform me of your Parseltongue abilities due to the fact that I have written the most recent study of that certain magical gift – in my writings: Animals and their Tongues, Miss Green also informs me that my knowledge on various snakes might help you. Tell her my definitive encyclopaedia on reptiles, both magical and non-magical, will aid her in the understanding of breeds, I recommend the REPTILE ENCYCLOPEIA version, as it is in the spelled form of a snake and not as heavy as the other edition, but I digress. My interest in your abilities is not just out of professional curiousity; I am told you wish to further your understanding of these abilities but I warn you right now without the proper tutelage this procedure could be dangerous. **_

_**Earnestly I wish you not to be discouraged, although Voldemort and Lord Slytherin are the last recorded Parseltongue's in European History I am beginning to believe that we ignored the wild people, the aboriginal savages who lived on the southern continent without good reason. Although their magic to us, who use refined wands, does seem a little crude most of the native tribe are taught from a young age to use this and many other strange abilities. Truthfully though, I do not know and I fear we shall never know the extent of this magic; they do not speak well to outsiders and most wizards, recognised wizards, hate those from England far more than anybody else. However all is not lost, my guide informs me of a speaker to the East who is willing to teach to one who wishes to learn. Evermore your reply is needed if you wish to develop such abilities for if I journey east I will run into large amounts of sea air. Shamefully I am allergic. Hives. Rashes. I hate the air that comes straight from the poles. **_

_**Eric. Kingsby. **_

_**I must admit I've forgotten to send you my present contact address, forgive me. Northern Territory. Gallah Bay, small house with made of dirt. Shamefully though I must admit that you should try to find another bird to carry the post on as owls are not common in this country. Heath, my guide, tells me the best birds to use are cockatoos and galla's as they are common and much less noticeable. Annoyingly I cannot see the point, but I am considered old fashioned. Contact me on this address before TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20**__**th**__**, as that is the date that I intend leave. **_

_**Kindly contact me, Harry, if you want to develop this skill as Miss Green has lead me to believe. **_

Harry blinked at the letter and tried to read the long winded letter again, but the forth read provided no sense although he had realised that Miss Green was obviously Hermione but how would she know? He hadn't told anyone that he wanted to develop his Parseltongue abilities so he could evenly match the Dark Lord on that front. But Hermione had known. He smiled at the most serious of his best friends and realised that he was finally tired, knowing that to return Hermione to the girl's dormitory would be far more difficult than the hour provided he picked up the small girl and carried her upstairs, shut his curtains and spelled them and lay down to sleep. He wouldn't admit to anyone and was sure that the reason he had no dreams that night was due to his exhaustion of staying awake so late into the night.

It didn't change the fact that when Harry slept next to Hermione he did not dream nor did he wander.

---

REVIEWS ARE GOOD.

I know this story seems abnormally long at the moment. It was the longest few chapters I've ever written, so please bare with me. I don't think I won't ever write chapters this long again. I can't go through them and edit them because I lose my train of thought and get confused... Plus it seems like it annoys people (... it annoys me when I see very long chapters... should've taken the hit but my fingers wouldn't stop moving... and I advise people this length is is too long.) so I decided to post again and hopefully it will be okay.

PS: There is a code in the letter. Find it and a virtual cookie belongs to you.


	3. Chapter 3

_We are sure by now that the rabbit-like invaders have blood like the saltwater, like the oceans they crossed to touch our shores. The gauls and the valley people have known about them for centuries and know we are discovering the full problems of their occupancy over our land. There blood is poisoning our fertile and rich blood, choking it up like saltwater destroys land and sends men mad and soon I fear if we continue to try and breed with this pestilence our kind will no longer have the ability to use magic. I fear it is almost to late as the younger children are beginning to show reliance on the amplifiers known as wands. Now days they have even forgotten about the sacred circles of magic and think it is all about spells, potions, charms and transfiguration. Godric wishes to open a school using the circle of our powers; with his fiery leanings and Salazar's earthly ones, Rowena's wind ones and mine of water. But I worry about the children. I can see them quickly forgetting our codes; the reasons our blood became soil to our people rain. A witch is destined to help her clan or village till the day she passes and a wizard to help create unity between clans. That's the way it has always been but I see the young one forgetting in anger and the allure of other things. _

- **Words written by Helga Hufflepuff, prior to the founding of Hogwarts **

_Chapter Three: The Destined Partners _

**Fields of Mud**

"Mister M?" A small voice asked from somewhere near his chest but Malfoy didn't have the energy the early hour deserved to even open his eyes. The little, weak voice called out from above him again.

"Mister M, can you help us? Please? Lilly is scaring me." Malfoy groaned and attempted to roll over, only succeeding to roll into some_thing_ else that wasn't usually inside his bed. Something that wasn't soft like his down pillows. That woke him up to stare into the intent faces of four very young children. It was too early for Malfoy to wonder why there were young children in his bedroom, ( the dormitories of Slytherin split into the separate rooms to encourage rivalry between who got the better room.) he studied them for a moment the flopped back down on his pillow, face first. One of the faces belonged to a girl who had frequented his childhood and make him use his broom to fly through dirty, smelly swamps looking for dying puppies and kittens. All the Bulstrode female's had a habit of knowing where something dying was, and it didn't lessen with the addition of the mudbloods that managed to worm their way into the clan.

Millicent was sitting beside him, stroking his head, and had the cheeks of a fat baby, the straight black hair cut into a bob with a rather large fringe, and was wearing what resembled her school uniform's shirt but it didn't fit her. She'd tied her tie around her waist and rolled up the sleaves.

"Mister M? I don't know where we are!" Cried the young girl as she patted his head and Malfoy gave her an irritated glance obviously annoyed at the habit. Millicent didn't stop.

"And I can't find 'Co anywhere or Rianne! I'm really sorry I lost them. So sorry." Malfoy blinked. Obviously their minds had regressed backwards to the days of their younger selves. They never talked about Marianne anymore, his younger cousin was a taboo subject till she graduated out of Gryffindor and away from the idiots, although she did try not to mix with the riffraff.

"Mister M, my father says that you can cast the worst dark spells, that you would've replaced you-know-who!" Replied the smaller of the two girls, she had a fine bone structure, reddish hair, and bright blue eyes. It then occurred to him that they thought he was Mister Malfoy, his father.

"Traceeey, we're not apposed to say those sorts of things, my daddy says it's daingerwus" Whispered the smaller of the two boys. Millicent was at his head, Tracey was by his side, the thin faced boy, with a generous amount of brown hair and dark brown eyes looked very shy and was sitting behind the bigger boy who was on his feet, Tracey huffed,

"Teddy, your daddy says lots of dumby things." Teddy, or Theodore scowled a scowl that during his years at Hogwarts would become his trademark.

"'dis one's tawoo." Said Teddy insistently as he looked at 'Mister Malfoy.'

"Isn't sir? They talked to Linda and she said sumting about her daddy that they dinna like and they killdead Mr. B." Malfoy closed his eyes, the children at this age didn't understand death like their older counterparts, it was different. They thought killed was the same as taking away. He remembered Linda Black, the four year old had the blackest curls and the darkest eyes and had been the only Black of their generation, Mrs. Black, her own grandmother had drowned the little girl for saying that daddy didn't like her touching muggles because they were evil. Then Mrs. Black had been executed because of various crimes and with her daughter in law dead in the riots caused after the war the only ones left who could enter the House of Black were his mother, himself or those locked away in Prison.

"That's not Mister M;" whispered the bigger boy and Draco took a moment to glance at the pale skinned, fair haired, and brown eyed mini version of Crabbe. Teddy shrugged.

"Vin, he's a M though, only 'em have the eyes, daddy says it's because dey are cursted." Draco ignored the brat. They didn't understand anything that was going on, they were all like miniature recorders just spouting off what they'd heard from their parents.

'You're still like that!' his inner voice whispered and Draco ignored it as Crabbe edged up to sit on his legs instead of his feet. It was a comfortable weight as Crabbe weighed less than even Pansy did. 'Am not! I actually understand what's going on and I believe what I say.' He forced out determined to show he was no longer a child, an echo like these children were.

"And he dunna have Mr. M's hair." Crabbe was saying and Millicent scrunched up her nose.

"Sure, Vinnie, I don't care! I'm hungry." She said firmly and Crabbe- Vinnie rolled his eyes.

"Millie, we have to stop Lilly waking everyone up. She could get killdead." Millicent – Millie blinked and then looked at him, patting him on the head.

"Mister Malfoy," she said sweetly.

"Lilly keeps screaming because she wants to go home and she's hungry. We all are. Can't you hear her?" And he could through the muffling charms he'd put around his bedroom. His private bedroom and a young child was screaming, throwing a tandrum that got her the name of the Irish Devil. He decided to get up.

And at least show them the clothes box so that they could change out of the overly large shirts that they were wearing that belonged to their sixteen year old counterparts.

…many screams, tandrums and bruises later…. 

Much later saw five disgruntled Slytherin's accompanying five, less hyperactive children to the Quidditch pitch. They'd gotten over the name problems and he'd become Big Brother Draco who was somehow related to Co. Teddy was following Daphne demurely as she smiled a sickening sweet smile to him. He returned it and missed the fact that Pansy rolled her eyes in a sickening fashion. Goyle had Vinnie on top of his shoulder and the child, although obviously one of the smarter children – he must've stopped learning soon afterwards – was delighted at the fact that he was taller than everybody else.

"And that's why we have breakfast in rooms and not in the swamps." Blaise said patiently to Millie who nodded for a moment, digesting the fact that she could die of poisoning if she didn't eat breakfast in a room instead of outside and at the table instead of the floor. She turned bright wide eyes back to Blaise and asked simply.

"I don't get it? What's so bad if I die-dead? Then I'd get to meet all the other people who die-dead and we could visit everyone else on holidays." Blaise sent him a look of confusion and began his explanation again. Blaise didn't like to talk he'd prefer to just disappear into walls and watch patiently. Millie however was talkative and Blaise was wishing he'd taken Tracey who was holding onto Pansy's hand and looking around in amazement. He hadn't because Pansy had had third dibs, and had chosen Tracey after remembering about a childhood full of the Bulstrodes visits.

"You can't come back from dying!" A small, curly haired figure that was skipping next to him said turning around and showing Millie how stupid she was.

"It's one way street. Knuts for brains." Millie scowled and Draco remembered with a sigh why he'd choosen the female pureblood instead of the males. Lilly made the best insults. She looked at him with wide green eyes, the red flecs barely showing, and giggled.

"You can't come back. You're gone and you don't come back. Why do you think daddy hasn't come back yet?" Millie's brow furrowed in confusion and Draco wondered for a moment if they were going to have to give the 'what happens when things die talk' but it was far worse.

"Your daddy didn't love you!" Millicent declared to the world and he watched as Lilith's curly brown hair seemed to electrify and the red flecs sprinkled through her iris seemed to grow in number, intensifying.

"Really, Bulstrode? My daddy died for me and mama so that nobody would hurt us. He died for a cause. That's better than your grandmamma. She just killdead herself." Draco winced and picked the angry girl up who struggled and bolted towards the Quidditch pitch before there would be a child fight. As a child Lilith had been the only one who seemed to know and want her accidental magic to work. And when it did it was bad. Lilith scowled when he put her down. That was the second reason he'd chosen Lilly, the pureblood only listened to people she knew and she had a temper that was definitely not Irish. He was lucky he looked just enough like his father that she listened to him.

"Lilly," he said in a low voice and the girl looked up into his silver eyes and flinched.

"She said daddy didna love me." The girl whimpered and Draco nodded.

"I know but you've got to watch what you say. You know far more than the other ones. You actually think." Lilith nodded and snorted.

"They're just little recorder spells." She said sullenly and Draco nodded, and bent down to fix the girl's shrunken uniform that she had picked out from the chest. Pansy and Daphne had been on damage control with the other Slytherin children to make sure Slytherin didn't come out with it's now younger portion looking like rainbow spew. Lilith had been different, but she was always different.

She'd simply picked white stockings, and lace up shoes, a white shirt and a nice grey pinafore with a green and silver stripped ribbon tied under the collar. She'd put black robes over the front and attempted to tie her hair with another green ribbon. Pansy had taken it out and told her her hair looked fine, all it needed was one defluffing spell and a brush. She looked like a miniature Slytherin. The chain that would read somebody else's name – he had yet to find the reason why, house and present location – something that gave far to much information i.e Millicent's the night before – hung golden under the ribbon and as Draco made sure that at the point in time nobody else was at the oval he flipped the gold chain over to reveal the names: _"Harry Potter, Gryffindor, with Hermione Granger in the Gryffindor dorms best be-"_ He ignored the rest of the message, it had said that previously for all three pendants he'd looked at – Theodore Nott's had been the third. He smirked slightly. It was true. Hermione Granger and Harry Potter had a _relationship. _

"Can I move now?" Lilith asked glaring at him and he let go of the tag. Lilith walked over to the stands and sat down in one of the seats that were closer to the ground. Draco followed and watched the arrival of his fellow housemates. He shook his head at Blaise to indicate that; no, he did not want to sit with them just yet as although both children had forgotten, the incident from before he did not want to tempt fate. Blaise nodded and guided the rest to the other Slytherin stand. Lilith nodded and put her head in his lap. He put his hands on her head and looked down condescendingly. Lilith poked out her tongue and for a moment he wondered what the 12 generations of Purity meant.

They sat there for fifteen minutes as a trail of sixth years, each accompanied by a six year old, trumped out onto the Pitch. Hufflepuffs holding eager children in clothes that did not match and glared against each other. Purples and Oranges, Yellow's and Mustard, strips and spots, it was worse than watching a elderly wizard trying to dress himself in modern muggle clothing. Draco snorted. His father had said once that as the Muggle identity was one to blend into, or kill like wolves amongst sheep it was a skill to dress as such sheep. They'd had lessons dressing in clothes that had recently become popular – sauve clothes that his father agreed with.

Tracey, the only Slytherin who had any touch with the Muggle realm had told him that the clothes were old fashioned and worn pre-colonialisation era (he'd been confused and she had had to say in between the discovery of the America's and the discovery of Australia.) so therefore severely out of date. He'd ignored her. She was a half-blood afterall.

Hannah Abbot seemed to be shyly (compared to the other Hufflepuffs) trying to tell her fellow people how to manage the younger children while Sally-Anne was ruling the stage, he caught sight of the only properly dressed boy hanging onto Hannah's leg and scowled. The boy reminded him scarily of Justin Finch-Fletchely with his stupid curly hair.

It took another half an hour before the Ravenclaw's arrived with their share of children and all matched rather well in blue so well infact that Draco scowled. Trust Ravenclaw to try and look bright and uniform. It took another fifteen minutes for the Gryffindor's to begin to arrive in a gruesome trickle.

Parvati Patil was first and she was pulling a dark haired girl with two identical long, straight ponytails that curled just so at the end. Her hair was tied in marron ribbon and she seemed to be wearing the same sort of pinafore that Lilith had found plus the addition of a marron cardigan. He could just catch the glint of bronze at her throat. Lavender was next crooning over a little boy who looked very nervous and wanted nothing better to do then run and hide under his sheet covers. His pale brown hair fluffed near his scalp and he seemed to also try hiding in the large maroon jumper that he was wearing. It was not succeeding and by the way that Lavender was fussing over the pudgy boy she obviously thought he was the cutest thing like a demented cross between a teddy bear and a baby puppy. He knew the next child who came in straight away. Her long pale blonde hair had been tied in to long plaits either side of her head, it would darken as she got older, only the pure Malfoy line managed to keep the pale hair, and her pale skin and blue grey eyes widened as she held on to _Weasley's _Hand. He wondered what it had taken for them to get her to hold any of the Gryffindor's hands. Her eyes found his almost immediately and his cousin turned red realising the atrocities she was doing holding the hand of a blood traitor. She let go and Weasley moved and held the hand again. She winced but he simply nodded and her face turned red. She was obscured as Dean Thomas entered with a young boy who was jumping around like he was on fire.

He was speaking Gaelic as fast as anything and although Draco couldn't understand a word he could hear everything. He knew that the freckle faced boy was obviously Seamus. Lilith perked up next to him.

"He's excited because he didn't have to be fed his Grandmum's traditional potato soup for breakfast." Draco looked at her and she smiled.

"his grandma thinks by feeding him the potato soup his magic will develop better." He blinked and she sat up.

"He doesn't under stand much English, he's only just started Preschool and everyone who babysits him speaks Gaelic except his da, so he only understands words his da has said. Can I go talk to them Mr. M?" She asked pleadingly and Draco was amazed at the switch in personality.

"No, they are Gryffindors." She scowled and looked him in the eyes. The red flecs grew and Draco realised why she wore the blue lenses. Whenever her mood became dark the red grew in her eyes, it was a clear give away. She stood up and ran over to Seamus who had broken off his Gaelic chatter and was trying to understand the English around him. By the time he was eleven Seamus would have perfect English speaking skills but at that moment he was stuck. Lilly greeted him in a huge wave and Seamus began chatting to her and Draco caught Pansy's glare and Blaise edging Millicent in his direction. Draco went to join the group of Gryffindors with a sneer.

"Oh, where is Potty and Granger? You're not telling me they are still in _bed?_" He asked and Ron swung around. Marianne blinked as he let go of her hand to ball them into fists. His cousin took the opportunity to run towards him and grab his legs firmly. Ronald didn't notice. Lavender blinked.

"How did you know that?" She asked with wide eyes and Draco blinked. Ew… that was something he didn't want to know. Then he heard voices at the entrance of the Quidditch pitch.

But only Potter entered, a slight bulge around his chest and Lavender squawked before she bit her lip. The lump was cowering inside his closed wizarding robes and as Harry moved towards the pitch he could see that Harry's arms went around to his back to hold the lump up. Obviously some whiny child for a moment Malfoy considered the comment – after all Pregnant Potter had a nice ring to it. He smirked towards The-Boy-Who-Got-Knocked-Up who raised an eyebrow and his eyes darted to both Marianne tangled within his legs and Lilith who was pulling on his green sweater, indicating to Seamus who he was.

"Having fun Malfoy?" He asked in a very quiet, neutral tone and for a moment Draco wondered why. He'd heard that tone used once by Potter and that had been before they knew who each other were. In the robe shop. He sneered.

"Loads of it! I suppose Brown never was good with Herbology that's why she got the prognosis wrong." Lavender's face went red put before she could say anything Harry gasped and the bulge enclosed him even more The person beneath was obviously scared of him or voices obviously frightened them.

"Hermione, your hurting me." Harry whispered slowly, his eyes warning Draco to talk only in neutral tone and Draco smirked as he heard a muffled whimper within the Harry's robes and Harry winced but before anything could be done (more like torture of Potter) Snape arrived on the field with Professor Sprout hot on his heels.

Snape smirked at them all in an exceptionally annoying way as he called for attention by raising his hand and simply beginning to speak. Everyone immediately was quiet wishing to hear what the house master had to say.

"As I'm sure you are aware," said the oily man and Draco watched with amusement as Harry's eyes again as Hermione constricted inside his robes. If this was going to be what the whole time his housemates were children were like he was going to look forward to the after effects.

…Rewind… 

Harry was not having a good morning, he'd woken to the shrieks of the girls as they attempted to get ready and after having a such a good, potionless, dreamless sleep he'd been looking forward to at least five hours of it. He only got three and a half. Hermione was hiding under the blankets cowering from the voices and although she'd been shy around him he began to wonder how shy she exactly was.

Gone was the girl who was radiating confidence who had stormed the train looking for Neville's toad, and had been on so many deadly adventures? She was more frightened than Neville ever had been. For a moment he wondered was curious about what had happened in between this creature and the girl he'd seen the first week of school. _Maybe it's because she doesn't understand what's going on. In the past she always understood things._

He prodded the lump who shrunk under the contact.

"Hermione?" He enquired curiously and he noticed as the lump quivered again and peeped out from under the house elf made blanket.

"Your still here?" She replied whimpering and he nodded, feeling slightly pathetic.

"And I'm still here." He nodded again and she let out a small, but heavy sounding sigh.

"I don't want to be here." He nodded again and he heard Parvati shriek from the room beyond the curtains.

"He looks just like an alive teddy bear!" She replied and heard a whimper from behind the curtain as a young boy attempted to escape the clutches of the 'evil' witch.

"Go away Parvati!" Ron was saying loudly.

"We are trying to get dressed. It's too early for this." Dean was saying with a groan and Harry knew by instinct that Parvati was glowering.

"I bet if I was Lavender you wouldn't be like this Won-Won." He knew that Ron was flinching at the nickname and grinned at Hermione's stricken face the smile faded. It was too loud for her obviously.

"Oh! Go play torture the toddler with the girls. I'm sure they'd appreciate it. Neville's almost peed himself and Seamus has gone into hiding." Parvati let out a groan.

"We've already dressed the girls and we only have half an hour to get down to the Quidditch pitch." Ron groaned and muffling noises of Seamus being discovered and Neville trying to run were heard from behind the curtain. Hermione was looking at him with imploring eyes, Harry shook his head and opened the curtain and she tried to use the blanket as a shield using the theory if I don't see you, you don't see me. It rarely worked.

Parvati was chasing Seamus who had decided to go starkers instead of trip over the oversized shirt. Ron was holding Neville at a protective height and his eyes glanced over to Harry and Harry's uniform which he'd gone to bed in.

"Morning P." Harry said as he reached for his shoes and Parvati paused as Dean grabbed Seamus and thrust the boy across his hip securing the starkers boy and reaching for a jersey to stick over the boys head. Seamus struggled for a moment.

"Morning Harry," Parvati said grinning and spotted the lump in his bed.

"Is that-" she began and Harry nodded.

"Hermione would you like to meet the Gryffindors." The bundle didn't move.

"They'd like to meet you." The bundle still didn't move so he reached forward and removed the blanket from her. She quivered for a moment and moved to hide behind him, glancing at the people over his shoulder with huge brown eyes.

Parvati squealed and the girl ducked behind the safety of Harry.

"Your soo cute!" She said and tried to get to Hermione who moved. Harry shot Parvati a sad look and winced.

"She's very shy. She met me early this morning, downstairs. Cried herself to sleep." Parvati twiddled her fingers and looked disgruntled.

"You can trust me Hermione." Hermione didn't move and simply clung to Harry's shoulder. Ron coughed.

"We now have twenty minutes. Why don't we get everyone dressed in the clothes you and LavLav have been playing with." Parvati's nodded and smiled as she went downstairs chatting to Dean who was holding a struggling Seamus with two arms. The boy did not like the jersey or downstairs. Ron whistled and Neville clung to him harder. Ron gave him a sidewards look.

"I imagined Neville like this but Hermione?" Harry shook his head.

"Never in a million years." He replied and Ron shook his head as he went downstairs. Harry looked back at Hermione.

"Did you want the blanket?" He asked and she looked at it and them him cautiously before nodding. He took her downstairs, holding her pigback style and the blanket mushed between them.

Hermione seemed indignant about changing infront of anybody and did so behind one of the couches – her only separation from Harry, in which he used the time to retrieve his robes. Parvati and Lavender, not to mention most of the girls looked at him disapproving before trying make a fuss over the shy Neville and Hermione. As soon as he was back she clung onto his leg and held the blanket. It didn't last long before Lavender began to push everyone to the Quidditch Pitch insisting they were late. Hermione refused to go beyond the portrait so he told the others to leave. They did, switching children.

He found himself having a conversation with Hermione about why she didn't want to.

"It's scary." Was her reply.

"Would it be better if you could see and nobody could see you." She shook her head.

"No. It's still scary." He groaned,

"I'd do it if I nobody could see me and I couldn't see nobody." He frowned for a moment and came up with a solution.

"How about I piggyback you and you hide in my robes." She nodded reluctantly and they were on their way, he entered the Quidditch pitch telling her how it wasn't scary describing her surrounding, where he was met with a surprise. Malfoy was with the Gryffindors and had children all over him, he didn't have long to deal with as Professor Snape began his explanation.

"That your fellow classmates endured a substantial dose of Hebecho, also known as Narcissus Jeunetyle, however it does have another name that it is more commonly called: The Flower of Youth." He heard somebody among the Hufflepuff faction whisper to a friend.

"That explains everything."

"No!" said an incredulous, yet somewhat sarcastic voice. Snape carried on in a flat voice, ignoring them.

"The Hebecho's is an ingredient in almost all age reduction potions, so unfortuneatly for you they have all temporarily lost more than a decade of their lives, however due to the spores being in the unrefined form their brains have also lost the knowledge that they gathered during this time." Harry nodded but was concentrated on the obstructing form within his robes.

"Hermione, your strangling me." He said softly and wondered if Snape would hear. It always happened with the Potions Professor, however he was drowned out by the other student's cries of protest.

"So they are going to have grow up again!" Someone was shouting but Snape rolled his eyes and continued his spiel.

"However no age reduction potion or plant is permanent and Professor Sprout estimates the spores will wear off come at best the start of second term, and at worse the end of the school year. That is genuinely the growth rate of the flower." The students were nodding together and Snape smirked, obviously about to enjoy the next few moments.

"Till then since Madame Pomfrey finds herself unable to care for the children our dear beloved headmaster believes that it would give you all a good life skills to look after the children till the time that they grow up or at least return to their previous states of life." He looked at them all and Harry felt a hole grow in stomach. Child raising was not something he was looking forward to. He had other things to do, more important things to take care of, and the child he'd have to care for would be in constant danger. He glowered at the Potions Master who ignored him.

"You will have realised that each child has a tag around their neck." Harry hadn't.

"It says their name, and their bloodtype, in-case need calls for that certain information, as well as their birthdate. On the reverse side there will be your own name, house and present location if someone should ever need to find you for the child's wellbeing." Snape smirked again as he clasped his hands together and turned around and left the stadium. Professor Sprout glowered at his back and then turned around to the students who were amazed to witness the instant change in her persona. From glowering she changed to the normal bundle of sunshine that she was known for. Happily she clasped her hands together.

"I hope you enjoy the activity of trying to find the child. These children must be cared for by you, it was not random allotment, the Hogwarts Hat itself told gave the children to your care. Goodluck." She giggled and then looked around at the horrified faces, frozen from Snapes words.

"Don't worry." She said slowly.

"Child raising isn't as hard as you probably believe. The hard parts already done, but I must say you are forbidden from leaving the stadium without the proper child. I think there is a spell up…" She dazedly looked at it and then smiled brightly.

"There are no classes for the sixth year this morning, so have fun, we'll meet again for Lunch. Think of this as a game. Find the child who has your name!"

…ahem… 

The chaos that ensued was almost amusing, as the little children began to think of the game as a game of tag running away from older students. Harry turned to the job of coaching Hermione out of his robes. There was no use looking till he was sure if Hermione was going to be his responsibility or not.

"Marianne, can I see your tag?" Malfoy said slowly to the girl who had remained entwined around her legs. She cocked her head slowly and blinked.

"Your not Uncle Lou." She said slowly and he shook his head.

"Who are you?" She asked curiously and Malfoy put on a comforting smirk, Harry shuddered.

"Draco Malfoy." Marianne's eyes widened.

"Co? Your not Co?" She replied and he smirked again.

"I'm Co all grown up." She blinked then, nodded, alarmingly trustworthy, but as was the minds of young children. He reached down to the black tag – that really should've been the first clue.

"Sally-Anne Perks, Hufflepuff, Trying to chase down Lilith Moon. Four feet away." He turned slightly to see Lilith's demonic grin as Sally-Anne tripped in the mud that was far too coincidental to be coincidence especially during a week that had been completely sunny. She blinked up at him and then at the younger blonde.

"Excellent." Marianne paled and looked to him.

"Sally-Anne's going to care for you. If you need me, you know how to reach me." Marianne nodded and walked over to the muddy girl. Draco turned his eyes towards the rest of the field. Parvati was stalking over to Pansy, a scowl on her face. Neville Longbottom was trying to keep up behind her a silver tag, glinting in the sun amidst the red wool.

"PANSY. Right here!" The girl shrieked as Pansy bolted past her in pursuit of Ernie who was laughing as he evaded the large group following him. Pansy stopped and slid in the mud that Lilith had created.

"Parvati?" She said regaining her footing, the fight they'd had since the first year forgotten from her mind. The Patil's and the Parkinson's had been friendly Draco remembered, they'd been making trade alliances for years.

"Pansy, I swear, if you don't care of Neville – like first year – I will make sure you die a gruesome death, or at least be forced to eat something vile the next time we meet." Pansy nodded for a moment, then as the information processed her entire being radiated happiness. Probably from the opportunity to get out of the mud and stop chasing children. Even her hair – it was lime green today with a blue streak through it - seemed to say Yay!

"Of course, Pavi! Of course I will, you want to come to Pansy don't you Neville." Neville looked between the two hyperactive teenagers who thought he was as cute as buttons and chose what seemed to him the lesser of two evils. Draco smirked at the thought as he walked over to Pansy and grabbed her extended hand.

"She's scary. Likes pink." He muttered to the floor.

"Excuse me." Said a brown haired boy who appeared beside him. Draco blinked at the young Justin Finch-Fletchely. He was proper as always and happened to be the only Hufflepuff boy who looked decent in black pants and a thick yellow cardigan, with a white shirt beneath. Obviously he'd had no help.

"I don't think this is a game." Replied the boy, very seriously and Draco had to nod. A serious Hufflepuff was very amusing.

"I'm looking for a: Ron-Ald Wea-Sel-Ee" He said stressing the ee's as he looked at the golden tag and for a moment Draco considered leaving Weasel without his pair but the way Justin pronounced the last name was far too priceless to pass up the opportunity.

"Get back here Lilith!" Called one of the girls as they chased the hyperactive girl who giggled and Draco rolled his eyes at the chaos of the field. It seemed only Pansy, Neville, Sally-Anne and Rianne had left. He knew he should be looking with the other students but found the activity that they all seemed to be pursuing pointless and demoralising, which was why the majority of sixth year was participating. They tended to be less than intelligent.

"Weasel-features! I've found your partner." He saw Justin's eyes glint as the five year old stored the name in his memory bank. Justin was obviously very intelligent. He'd heard muggles didn't read till they were ten. Which was why they were so stupid when they entered Hogwarts. Ron came to halt and looked at him growing.

"Look whose talking Ferret-face! You've more weasel in you than I do." Justin looked at the red head and at his clothes.

"You're Ron-Ald Wee-Zel-EE? No wonder _I_ haven't heard your last name. I thought I paid attention through all of mum's talks…" He looked at Ron and Ron went red to his roots. Draco smirked. He didn't like Justin as a rule because he walked around with MacMillan and Abbott talking about how crude it is to refer to ones affluence within his hearing age after he'd insulted Weasley. It was annoying. This Justin was much more towards his liking… even though he was still muggle.

A naked boy ran past him and Lavender followed him, holding his clothes. Draco smirked, it was no wonder the Irish boy was a bit touched in the head, his childhood must've been very _free._ He smirked at his own joke as the boy laughed as he yelled behind him at the disgruntled and very muddy female. Lilith's mud obviously wasn't effecting the children.

"You can't catch me!" Lavender groaned as she slipped again and fell onto the floor.

"Seamus get back here!" She yelped and he turned, almost in concern and she snatched his leg in triumph. Draco smirked. He knew who she'd get alright. Bulstrode.

"I know your going to be in Gryffindor – oh!" She fumbled with a silver tag and screwed up her face. Gryffindor's were so stupid. They helped the enemy by broad casting the information to the world. He was purely selfish. Purely self motivated. Not like the stupid Gryffindor's… except Lavender was smirking evilly.

"Oh, Goyle, can you come here?" She asked in a sweet voice and let go of Seamus's arm and giving the clothes to the smaller of Draco's cronies.

"Goyle," she said as Seamus ran starkers in the opposite direction.

"You've got Seamus." Gregory looked at the clothes, and at Seamus's disappearing form.

"Hope you can speak Gaelic." She said sweetly as Paul Runcorn reached inside her pocket to grab something. She grabbed his wrist and in a swift moment yelled for the blonde Hufflepuff.

"Hannah, have fun with Runcorn." Hannah skidded to a halt and managed to keep her balance as Lavender let go of Paul and the little kid ran off as Hannah sighed and looked at her in the face.

"Brown, that was cruel." Draco, reluctantly agreed and Lavender smiled and tilted her head.

"Apparently Godric and Salazar were friends before the split. You can't be friends without sharing certain qualities." A shriek was heard in the direction of Mandy Brocklehurst who had taken the unfortunate job of trying to capture Millicent.

"Bulstrode bit me!" The normally silent Ravenclaw was yelling, holding her fingers and seeking out somebody else's eye contact. She noticed Lavender's face watching her in amusement and yelled across the pitch.

"Don't look so smug Brown! I saw her tag – Lavender Brown, Gryffindor." Lavender's eyes widened as she bolted after the baby-banshee who giggled as another stupid grown up gave chase.

"I give up!" A boy said behind Draco panting heavily and holding a struggling strawhaired girl wearing a purple polka dotted yellow dress with a pair of brightly striped orange and green tights underneath. The girl grinned and wiggled her nose.

"Does Smith have a hufflepuff?" Zachariah blinked than looked down at Sophie Roper.

"God no, I've just been catching them and letting them go. It wastes so much energy. I bet if I just sat down someone would come and try something. Sophie's Daphne's." Draco could not help the evil smirk that came across his face at the sight of his girlfriends almost irreversible opposite. He caught sight of Daphne chasing after a very sturdy legged Quianna River's who, it seemed, had a fast pair of legs on her.

"Daphne? I know who your partner is, want to trade?" Daphne blinked and raised an eyebrow and Zachariah put on a highpitched imitation voice, that squeaked.

"I'm not running in this skirt any-" Draco snorted and Daphne shot him a glare.

"Deal. You have Lisa Turpin, who do I have?" Zachariah grinned and held the girl's arm out to Daphne.

"This lil' fella belongs to you." Daphne sniffed as she evaluated the little girl.

"Why thank you Smith… you could've told the boy that only girls wear skirts…" The girl grinned and slipped out of Zachariah's grasp and held out a very grubby hand.

"Pleased ta meet ya. My name's Sophie Roper. Who are you?" Daphne blinked closed her eyes and accepted the girls hands. Draco could hear her mantra about getting out of the mud or changing the girl's appearance. He couldn't decide which one Daphne would choose. Zachariah grinned and looked at Draco.

"See, that's what you should do instead of stand out like a stick. Potter's doing a better job than you are… and he's sitting in one of the only grassy places left." Draco glowered because he knew that Harry was still unsuccessful in his attempts to remove the girl peacefully from his cloak.

Smith shrugged and spotted the reddish head of Lisa Turpin and took after it as the girl was heading towards the Quidditch stands. Lilith ran past again her trail this time decidedly smaller; Anthony Goldstein was escorting Michael Cornfoot out of the stadium and Dean Thomas had his eyes set on Michael Corner who was wearing one of the few Golden tags. The only people now following Lilith were Parvati Patil, Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, and Morag MacDougal.

The latter slipped on the mud and landed on her behind rather hard. Draco sniggered and she glared at him.

"Don't you laugh, you bloody egotistical - " her Scottish temper got the better of her and Ernie stopped running in amazement as she let off so many insults that it had the young scotsman's mouth falling open. Wayne Hopkins approached steadily the yellow-blonde haired child from behind.

"You swear worse than da does." Ernie said in amazement and Morag's arm shot out and grabbed him.

"Gotcha." She whispered manically and pulled out a bronze tag and glowered.

"Damn, your with me. Someone who'll actually understand…" Ernie blinked and Morag smiled sweetly and Hopkins.

"You have Megan Jones. You'd better practice up on your Welsh, the only kids who don't speak English are Seamus and Megan. He has to learn Gae-" She began but Draco snorted, she glared at him.

"Goyle knows better Gaelic then Lilith, he just don't speak it." Morag nodded for a moment when Hopkins clicked his fingers.

"It makes sense actually, the hat. It sorts the best suited, both Goyle and Seamus are Irish, both you and Macmillan are Scottish, and if I'm with Megan it's because we both come from Wales. Completely different parts mind you." Draco rolled his eyes as Padma Patil skipped past and his hand shot out to grab the girl. Padma looked taken aback.

"If your theory is right then Padma should be with Parvati and I would've been with Marianne." Wayne shrugged and looked at Morag for explanation.

"Your cousins, and maybe you match somebody else better." He raised an eyebrow and flipped the golden tag over to read Parvati Patil.

"Parvati, stop chasing Lilith. Your with your sister." He drawled and Parvati blinked and stopped suddenly and slipped. Lilith smirked and ducked Terry Boot as he dove at her again. Parvati left, along with Morag and Ernie, and Wayne and Megan.

Draco assessed remaining situation with a sort of pride as he realised that all Hufflepuff children had been captured and sent to their dooms… new parents… and the only Ravenclaw left was Kevin Entwhistle who was running around with the Chimera who was as large as his hip with Susan Bones at his heels.

With Potter occupied with Granger, Boot with Lilith, Li with Vinnie and Zabini chasing Ted- Theodore he corrected, he was not calling Theodore Nott Teddy, Vin, or Vinnie he could deal with but Teddy? No. Mandy was currently stalking Tracey which left one child on the loose. Quianna looked at him bored.

Her Runners had given up the chase and had left with their easier targets. He looked at a bronze tag swinging on her neck and debated with himself for a moment. It would get things done quicker.

"Bones has Nott, Li has Davis, Brocklehurst has Crabbe. I think Rivers has Boot. Can't be sure though…" All four looked at him and instantly switched partners and quickly caught the children. They gave him gracious smiles as they left. There! Tell Dumbledore that he wasn't leadership material. He smirked as Zabini sat down next to him, groaning. Kevin approached Lilith from behind and through mud at her while his Chimera laughed. She growled and soon the children were engaged in a mud war. Draco rolled him eyes and hoped that he wasn't paired with Kevin although chances were slim. He reassessed the situation.

Kevin Entwhistle, Lilith Moon and Granger.

Lilith was with Potter, he knew that and he also knew that in no way was his luck ever good.

"There we go, that wasn't hard was it?" Potter said behind him and he resisted the urge to turn.

"Can I look at your necklace Hermione? Don't be shy?" He heard a jingle as Harry untangled two separate pieces of metal.

"Let's see… Hermione… no that's you… Draco Malfoy, Slytherin, you can see him, moron." He heard a small giggle and turned around. He knew his luck wasn't that good. Fate hated him.

Zabini groaned as he realised that he had Kevin.

"Well, it looks like mudblood is with me." He said slowly as he took a step forward to examine the specimen. She shyly shrugged into Harry's form and was trying to hide in a bedblanket.

Her brown eyes wide, and two very long, very neat braids framed her face and went far down into the blanket, curls were already escaping and she was easy one of the smallest children he'd seen so far and if he had a wager he would've wanted to see the size differences between this young girl and Pansy at her age. She had the same uniform that the other Gryffindor's had and he supposed Lavender and Parvati had been the ones to dress them. She looked very scared and Draco smirked as he saw Harry's face.

"You hurt her Malfoy, I will make sure you don't see the end of the year." Draco grinned.

"What do you think I am, Potter? A monster? I'd never hurt such a pathetic being." Hermione shrunk away and into Harry and he met Harry's eyes again and wished for once they weren't obscured by the glass. It made dominating that much harder when you were fighting a person whose eyes were slightly bigger than the reality.

"Why don't you say hello Hermione." Harry said gently, his eyes daring Draco to do something bad. Hermione looked at him pleadingly and he raised his eyebrows. Draco really was beginning to get sick of this. Would it take this long for everything. He stalked over to Granger and picked her up and hoisted her under his arm and walked out of the Quidditch pitch. He could hear Zabini behind him trying to leave and then realising he needed Entwhistle.

Draco smirked again as he realised that it was Potter's job to subdue the hyped up Lilith Moon. He felt the quivering lump under his arm and rolled his eyes. She didn't need any tormenting, she'd do enough herself.


End file.
